Introduction

Welcome, I created this website in order to enable you to get familiarized with my book ZBRODNIE BEZ KARY (Crimes without punishment), published in 2006 by Agencja Poligraficzno – Wydawnicza „SANDRA” in Rzeszów.

In this book I described a historic outline of Volhynia, life of its inhabitants before 1939 and following tragedies concerning occupation and crimes committed by Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian UPA) and OUN against Polish population in Volhynia.

After front line had approached the Bug River in 1944, a part of Ukrainian Insurgent Army's sotnias was transferred to liberated Polish territories of former voivodeships: Lubelskie and Rzeszowskie. In these areas from Włodawa, Chełm, Hrubieszów, Lubaczów Przemyśl, Sanok and Krosno to Nowy Sącz, OUN created three districts within UPA's 4th Military district “SIAN”. They wanted to take these territories away from Poland by force by attacking Citizen's Militia's stations, WOP watchtowers, Polish Army's garrisons and the civilian population.

Ukrainian Insurgent Army's sotnias working on south-eastern areas of Rzeszowskie Voivodeship : 1944–1974. Borders are described accordingly to records from 1946.

Ukrainian Insurgent Army and OUN's further plans were partly interrupted by the “Wisła”Military Operation, since Iaroslav “Stiah” Starukh, a domestic OUN providnik, UPA's staff and their commander Myroslav “Orest” Onyshkevich were still alive. „Stiah” was killed on 17 September 1947 in Lubaczów Woods, “Orest” died in 1948 in the Western Territories. Ukrainian Insurgent Army's liaison groups trained for couriers transporting still worked after “Wisła” Operation. By air and sea they transported to Poland several sabotage-spy groups that were eliminated in 1954.

After their elimination, OUN's underground practically ceased to exist. However, after many changes in Poland in 1989, OUN was reborn in a different form. A top secret sixty-paged instruction was prepared and published for the directing personnel. It contained information about how to act adequately to the present stage. The main purpose was to white-wash Ukrainian Insurgent Army's crimes in Volhynia and Eastern Lesser Poland with various actions: scientific conferences, readings, squeezing into editorial offices of publishers, newspapers and television, in fact to every place where FWU's funds (Ukrainian Liberation Fund) were being spared for the activity and bribing Poles. They also wanted Polish Seym and Senate to condemn the “Wisła” Operation. Numerous of these aims (such as putting up monuments to Ukrainian Insurgent Army's soldiers) are being realised in Poland. More about these facts can be found in the book ZBRODNIE BEZ KARY (Crimes without punishment).

These very actions such as counterfeiting the Polish history and white-washing UPA's genocide crimes made me write ZBRODNIE BEZ KARY (Crimes without punishment). Inside, one can find 148 unpublished until now pictures of people and documents, taken by amateurs during actions. They give the lie to those who want to white-wash the OUN's and UPA's crimes.

I encourage you to read this book so that you can get to know numerous interesting and unknown facts. While discussing, many Readers asked: how long will these issues be raised? or is it worth looking back to them? Well, in these matters Poland (in my opinion rashly) made more than enough. In August 1990 Polish Senate denounced the military operation “Wisła” hoping that Ukraine will do the same with OUN and UPA's crimes. The Seym of the Republic of Poland first recognised the independence of Ukraine. In Jaworzno a monument was put up to people who had died there. Memorials to Ukrainian Insurgent Army were put up as well as in Przemyśl and Jarosław Counties. “Nasze słowo” a Ukrainian weekly is donated with our money, Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski disgraced himself on 18 April 2002 when he called “Wisła” Operation dishonourable. Ukrainian Parliament and the Government have done nothing in this matter. There was no denunciation of OUN or Ukrainian Insurgent Army for the murders nor a humble phrase “we are sorry”. And this is what worries us. On 12 October 2007 with his Ukase No. 965/2007, the Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko – ignoring everyone – posthumously awarded Roman Shukhevych (also known as Taras Chuprynka, leader of “Nachtigall” battalion, commander-in-chief of Ukrainian Insurgent Army) with General and warrant officer rank and the title of “Hero of Ukraine”, not mentioning Ukrainian Insurgent Army's members privileges.

It was easy to notice that ill-considered celebrations of “reconciliation” on July 11, 2003 in Pawliwce (former Poryck) in Volhynia and on 13 May 2006 in Pawłokom in Rzeszów County were more embarrassing for Poland than ceremonial. While our veterans (officers in uniforms) who were a part of 27th Volhynian Infantry Division were not allowed in Poryck, Ukrainian Insurgent Army's soldiers were showing off with their uniforms and a full dress of orders granted for murders committed on Poles. What is more, they put up a marble monument (weighing over 15 t) inscribed with the names of 366 people – Ukrainians allegedly murdered by Polish unit of Home Army in Pawłokom, however there are no evidence for that.

Probably it is high time for these matters to be studied unemotionally, thoroughly and truthfully. In my opinion, neither politicians nor parties should deal with history, but entrust this matter entirely (at the same time granting appropriate funds) to Polish Academy of Sciences which in the cooperation with the Ukrainian counterpart seems to be the most competent in these matters.

While remembering the tragic past let us build a better future – for the next generations.

Major Łukasz Kuźmicz born on 18 April 1925 in Kuśniszcze II in Lubolm County in Volhynia. He lived there until 1943. After Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian UPA) murdered in 1943 (29, 30 August) 15.000 Poles in the neighbouring villages and attacked his house, he went through hell of UPA's criminal activity with his whole family.

In 1944 with the units of 2nd Polish Army he came to Rzeszów where at that time 10th Infantry Division was being formed. With the 2nd Reserve Infantry Regiment he was transferred to The Department of Public Safety.

He took part in or directly witnessed numerous events which he described in his book ZBRODNIE BEZ KARY (Crimes without punishment). It constitutes a valuable historic source and contains unpublished documents and pictures, names of militiamen, officers and Polish Army soldiers born in the Eastern Frontiers and entire Poland, who died in battles against Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Rzeszów County before and in the course of “Wisła” Operation.

He provided a documentary evidence for the necessity of carrying out “Wisła” Military Operation during which OUN staff and its leaders, the main providnik Iaroslav Starukh also known as Stiah, Ukrainian Insurgent Army's sotnias and battalions with their commander-in-chief Myroslav Onyshkiewicz also known as “Orest” were eliminated. A later sabotage-spy activity of OUN and UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) that took place after “Wisła” Operation was also described in this book.

The author has been awarded with two classes of Order of Polonia Restituta – Officer's Cross and Knight's Cross; Golden Cross of Merit, Cross of Valour, Silver Cross of Merit (twice), Silver Medal for Merited in Battlefield (twice), Medal of Victory and Freedom and many other national decorations.